Sunday, August 4, 2013

Oil companies frack in coastal waters off Calif.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Companies prospecting for oil off California's coast have used hydraulic fracturing on at least a dozen occasions to force open cracks beneath the seabed, and now regulators are investigating whether the practice should require a separate permit and be subject to stricter environmental review.

While debate has raged over fracking on land, prompting efforts to ban or severely restrict it, offshore fracking has occurred with little attention in sensitive coastal waters where for decades new oil leases have been prohibited.

Hundreds of pages of federal documents released by the government to The Associated Press and advocacy groups through the Freedom of Information Act show regulators have permitted fracking in the Pacific Ocean at least 12 times since the late 1990s, and have recently approved a new project.

The targets are the vast oil fields in the Santa Barbara Channel, site of a 1969 spill that spewed more than 3 million gallons of crude oil into the ocean, spoiled miles of beaches and killed thousands of birds and other wildlife. The disaster prompted a moratorium on new drill leases and inspired federal clean water laws and the modern environmental movement.

Companies are doing the offshore fracking - which involves pumping hundreds of thousands of gallons of salt water, sand and chemicals into undersea shale and sand formations - to stimulate old existing wells into new oil production.

Federal regulators thus far have exempted the chemical fluids used in offshore fracking from the nation's clean water laws, allowing companies to release fracking fluid into the sea without filing a separate environmental impact report or statement looking at the possible effects. That exemption was affirmed this year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to the internal emails reviewed by the AP.

Fracking fluids can comprise hundreds of chemicals - some known and others that aren't since they are protected as trade secrets. Some of these chemicals are toxins to fish larvae and crustaceans, bottom dwellers most at risk from drilling activities, according to government health disclosure documents detailing some of the fluids used off California's shore.

Marine scientists, petroleum engineers and regulatory officials interviewed by the AP could point to no studies that have been performed on the effects of fracking fluids on the marine environment. Research regarding traditional offshore oil exploration has found that drilling fluids can cause reproductive harm to some marine creatures.

"This is a significant data gap, and we need to know what the impacts are before offshore fracking becomes widespread," said Samantha Joye, a marine scientist at the University of Georgia who studies the effects of oil spills in the ocean environment.

The EPA and the federal agency that oversees offshore drilling, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement or BSEE, conduct some routine inspections during fracking projects, but any spills or leaks are largely left to the oil companies to report.

In a statement to the AP, the EPA defended its oversight of offshore fracking, saying its system ensures the practice does not pollute the environment in a way that would endanger human health. Oil companies must obtain permits for wastewater and storm water discharges from production platforms that "ensure all fluids used in the drilling and production process will not adversely impact water quality," the statement said.

Oil companies also say that much of the fracking fluid is treated before being discharged into the sea. Tupper Hull, spokesman for the Western States Petroleum Association, said fracking in general is safe and has "never been associated with any risk or harm to the environment" in over six decades in California.

California coastal regulators said they were unaware until recently that offshore fracking was even occurring, and are now asking oil companies proposing new offshore drilling projects if they will be fracking.

Because the area of concern is located more than three miles off the state's shoreline, federal regulators have jurisdiction over these offshore exploration efforts. However, the state can reject a permit in federal waters if the work endangers water quality.

"It wasn't on our radar before, and now it is," said Alison Dettmer, a deputy director at the California Coastal Commission.

Government documents including permits and internal emails from the BSEE reveal that fracking off the shores of California is more widespread than previously known. While new oil leases are banned, companies can still drill from 23 grandfathered-in platforms in waters where endangered blue and humpback whales and other marine mammals often congregate.

In March, a privately held oil and gas company received permission from the agency to frack some 10 miles off the Ventura County coast. The job by DCOR LLC involves using the existing wellbore of an old well to drill a new well. Three so-called "mini-fracks" will be done in an attempt to release oil locked within sand and rocks in the Upper Repetto formation.

Only a month before the application was approved, however, an official with the BSEE voiced concerns about the company's proposed frack and whether the operation would discharge chemicals into the ocean.

"We have an operator proposing to use `hydraulic stimulation' (which has not been done very often here) and I'm trying to run through the list of potential concerns," Kenneth Seeley, the BSEE's regional environmental officer for the Pacific, wrote in a Feb. 12 email to colleagues. "The operator says their produced water is Superclean! but the way they responded to my questions kind of made me think this was worth following up on."

BSEE officials approved DCOR's application on March 7. The agency told the AP that DCOR's job would use far less fracking fluid than an onshore operation.

"For comparison, well stimulation offshore typically uses 2 percent of the liquids and 7 percent of the sand that is used routinely for onshore hydraulic fracturing," the BSEE said in a statement.

Oil industry estimates show that at least half of the chemical-laced water used in fracking remains in the environment after an operation. Environmental groups say as much as 80 percent of the fluids can be left behind. The rest gets pumped back up to the oil platform, and is piped or barged back to shore for treatment. Companies can also pump the fluids into an old well reservoir to discard it.

DCOR, which did not respond to requests for comment, is not the first company to try to tap more oil from California's offshore reserves, nor is the project the most extensive offshore frack here in recent years.

In January 2010, oil and gas company Venoco Inc. set out to improve the production of one of its old wells with what federal drilling records show was the largest offshore fracking operation attempted in federal waters off California's coast. The target: the Monterey Shale, a vast formation that extends from California's Central Valley farmlands to offshore and could ultimately comprise two-thirds of the nation's shale oil reserves.

Six different fracks were completed during the project, during which engineers funneled a mix of about 300,000 pounds of fracking fluids, sand and seawater 4,500 feet beneath the seabed, according to BSEE documents.

Venoco's attempt only mildly increased production, according to the documents. Venoco declined to comment.

Despite greenlighting offshore fracking projects for years, federal and state regulators now are trying to learn more about the extent of fracking in the Pacific even as officials and marine scientists scramble to weigh the environmental effects.

In January, Jaron Ming, the Pacific regional director of the BSEE, told employees in an email that there had been heightened interest in offshore fracking from within the agency and the public.

"For that reason, I am asking you to pay close attention to any (drilling applications) that we receive and let me know if you believe any of them would be considered a `frac job.'"

That same month, BSEE estimated in internal emails that only two such jobs had occurred off California in the past two decades. But weeks later, as the agency worked to respond to public requests about fracking offshore, emails show it had found 12 such instances of offshore fracking.

BSEE said it cannot be sure just how often fracking has been allowed without going through every single well file.

Brian Segee, a staff attorney at the Environmental Defense Center, said the uncertainty makes him skeptical about the actual number of offshore fracks. The Santa Barbara-based environmental law firm, which formed in the wake of the 1969 oil spill, is calling for a moratorium on future fracking in the Pacific until the potential environmental effects are studied.

Most fracking efforts off California have yielded mixed results. The first time Venoco fracked offshore in the 1990s, it had limited success. Chevron's one try failed. Out of Nuevo Energy's nine attempts, only one was considered very successful, according to company and BSEE records.

The practice has been more fruitful in the North Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, where it's more common and the porous nature of the geologic formation makes it easier to extract oil, according to regulators and oil industry experts. Still, oil companies surveyed by federal regulators said they haven't ruled out fracking projects in the Pacific in the future.

As fracking technology evolves and companies seek to wring production from old offshore wells, drilling experts caution that strict safety precautions and planning are needed.

Working in the open ocean, "you have to be a lot more careful to avoid any spillage," said Mukul Sharma, a professor of petroleum engineering at The University of Texas at Austin.

David Pritchard, a Texas petroleum engineer who has been working in offshore drilling for 45 years, said offshore fracking "no doubt adds complexity and risk."

One concern is that the high pressure fracking mixture in some jobs might break the rock seal around an old well bore, allowing oil to escape, added another expert, Tulane University petroleum engineering professor Eric Smith.

"I'd say it (offshore fracking) is safe," Smith said, "but nothing's a sure thing in this world."

---

Follow Jason Dearen and Alicia Chang on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JHDearen and http://www.twitter.com/SciWriAlicia

Source: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OFFSHORE_FRACKING?SITE=NVLAS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

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Movie review: Stars Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg fired up in ...

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Paula Patton, left, and Denzel Washington in a scene from "2 Guns." (AP Photo/Universal Pictures, Patti Perret)

Review ? Chemistry propels overblown buddy-cop thriller.

A buddy-cop movie on steroids, "2 Guns" fires off smart-alecky one-liners and bullets at equal rates ? as the stars make a convoluted and overwritten script work.

Bobby (Denzel Washington) and Stig (Mark Wahlberg) are introduced as criminals working together to curry favor with a Mexican drug lord, Papi Greco (Edward James Olmos). What neither man knows is that the other is working undercover for the U.S. government. Bobby is a DEA agent trying to bring down Greco?s cartel, while Stig works for Navy intelligence and is under orders to bring Bobby down.

?

HHH

?2 Guns?

Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg make a good team in a movie that mixes solid action and ridiculous dialogue.

Where ? Theaters everywhere.

When ? Opens Friday, Aug. 2.

Rating ? R for violence throughout, language and brief nudity.

Running time ? 109 minutes.

When the two rob a bank where they think Greco stashes his drug proceeds, they discover a whole lot more money than they expected. They also find that they have been double-crossed and set up to take the rap for the robbery and worse. That?s when a shadowy and flamboyant figure, Earl (Bill Paxton), shows up demanding his money and leaving a string of corpses. With no one else to turn to, Bobby and Stig reluctantly team up to clear their names.

Also in the mix are Stig?s superior, Cmdr. Quince (James Marsden), and Bobby?s DEA colleague and sometime lover Deb (Paula Patton).

Icelandic director Baltasar Korm?kur, who directed Wahlberg in the smart 2012 thriller "Contraband," creates some effective action set pieces ? including an over-the-top finale that includes exploding cars, helicopter machine guns and a stampede of bulls.

The plot-heavy script, an adaptation of Steven Grant?s graphic-novel series, has erratic tone shifts and too much clever-to-be-clever dialogue. It?s as if screenwriter Blake Masters, a TV writer making his movie debut, swallowed the Shane Black action-movie playbook and the Quentin Tarantino dialogue generator and is regurgitating pieces of both all over the place.

That said, Washington?s deceptively easygoing charm and Wahlberg?s fast-talking pugnacity make for an entertainingly sweet-and-sour partnership. The one-liners coming out of their mouths may be phony, but these actors infuse them with a sense of fun among the mayhem.

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Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/entertainment2/56670419-223/wahlberg-guns-washington-movie.html.csp

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Saturday, August 3, 2013

Ohio man who kidnapped 3 women gets life in prison

Ariel Castro rubs his nose in the courtroom during the sentencing phase Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013, in Cleveland. Three months after an Ohio woman kicked out part of a door to end nearly a decade of captivity, Castro, a onetime school bus driver faces sentencing for kidnapping three women and subjecting them to years of sexual and physical abuse. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Ariel Castro rubs his nose in the courtroom during the sentencing phase Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013, in Cleveland. Three months after an Ohio woman kicked out part of a door to end nearly a decade of captivity, Castro, a onetime school bus driver faces sentencing for kidnapping three women and subjecting them to years of sexual and physical abuse. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Ariel Castro listens in the courtroom during the sentencing phase Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013, in Cleveland. Three months after an Ohio woman kicked out part of a door to end nearly a decade of captivity, Castro, a onetime school bus driver faces sentencing for kidnapping three women and subjecting them to years of sexual and physical abuse. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Ariel Castro, center, listens in the courtroom during the sentencing phase Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013, in Cleveland. Defense attorney's Craig Weintraub, left, and Jaye Schlachet sit beside Castro. Three months after an Ohio woman kicked out part of a door to end nearly a decade of captivity, Castro, a onetime school bus driver faces sentencing for kidnapping three women and subjecting them to years of sexual and physical abuse. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Michelle Knight speaks during the sentencing phase for Ariel Castro Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013, in Cleveland. Three months after an Ohio woman kicked out part of a door to end nearly a decade of captivity, Castro, a onetime school bus driver faces sentencing for kidnapping three women and subjecting them to years of sexual and physical abuse. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Michelle Knight sits in the courtroom during a break in the sentencing phase for Ariel Castro Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013, in Cleveland. Knight one of the victims of Castro testified at the sentencing Thursday. The appearance by Knight is the first time she?s been seen publicly since her rescue from the house where she was held captive for ten years. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

(AP) ? Standing before the man who kidnapped her and raped her for a decade, Michelle Knight described how the world had changed in the three months since they last saw each other. The captive, she said, was now free and the oppressor would be locked away forever to "die a little every day."

Ariel Castro's fate had been determined long before he was sentenced Thursday to life in prison plus 1,000 years. But Knight's words in a crowded courtroom put a final seal on the kidnapping case that horrified the nation and subjected three young women to years of torment in Castro's ramshackle house.

"You took 11 years of my life away and I have got it back," Knight said. "I spent 11 years in hell. Now your hell is just beginning."

A short time later, the 53-year-old former school bus driver apologized to his victims briefly in a rambling, defiant statement. He repeatedly blamed his sex addiction, his former wife and others while claiming most of the sex was consensual and that the women were never tortured.

"These people are trying to paint me as a monster," he said. "I'm not a monster. I'm sick."

The sentence was a foregone conclusion after Castro pleaded guilty last week to 937 counts, including aggravated murder, kidnapping, rape and assault. A deal struck with prosecutors spared him from a possible death sentence for beating and starving Knight until she miscarried.

During her statement, Knight was just a few feet from Castro, seeing him for the first time since her rescue in May from the house that Castro turned into a prison with a makeshift alarm system and heavy wooden doors covering the windows.

"I will live on," she said. "You will die a little every day."

The three women disappeared separately between 2002 and 2004, when they were 14, 16 and 20 years old. Each had accepted a ride from Castro. They escaped May 6 when Amanda Berry, now 27, broke part of a door to Castro's house in a tough Cleveland neighborhood and yelled for help. Castro was arrested that evening.

The escape electrified Cleveland, where photos of the missing women still hung on utility posts. Elation turn to despair as details of their ordeal emerged.

Prosecutors on Thursday detailed Castro's repeated sexual assaults, how he chained the women and denied them food or fresh air.

They displayed photos that gave a first glimpse inside the rooms where the women lived. Stuffed animals lined the bed and crayon drawings were taped to the wall where Berry lived with her young daughter who was fathered by Castro. One of the drawings on a shelf said "Happy Birthday."

But in the same room, the window was boarded shut and door knobs had been removed and replaced with multiple locks.

Another room shared by Knight and Gina DeJesus had a portable toilet and a clock radio and several chains.

Prosecutors said the women were chained to a pole in the basement and a bedroom heater. One woman had a motorcycle helmet placed on her head while in the basement. Later, when she tried to escape, she had a vacuum cleaner cord wrapped around her neck.

FBI agent Andrew Burke said Castro would occasionally pay his victims after raping them. Then he would require them to pay him if they wanted something special from the store.

A letter written by Castro was found in the home days after his arrest and shown in court. It was titled "Confession and Details." He also wrote "I am a sexual predator."

Cuyahoga County prosecutor Tim McGinty said in a court filing that one of the women kept a diary.

"The entries speak of forced sexual conduct, of being locked in a dark room, of anticipating the next session of abuse, of the dreams of someday escaping and being reunited with family, of being chained to a wall, of being held like a prisoner of war ... of being treated like an animal," the filing said.

Knight, 32, was the first woman abducted after Castro lured her into his house with the promise of a puppy for her son. She said she cried every night and that her years in captivity "turned into eternity."

"He tormented me constantly, especially on holidays," Knight said. "Christmas was the most traumatic day because I didn't get to spend it with my son."

She sat quietly as Castro claimed the women lived a happy life with him.

"We had a lot of harmony that went on in that home," he said.

Castro called his daughter with Berry a "miracle child" and argued with the judge that he didn't commit a violent crime.

He pointed out that the FBI was once close to him when agents talked with his daughter, who was walking home with DeJesus on the day she disappeared.

"The FBI let these girls down when they questioned my daughter," he said. "They failed to question me."

He also said he was never abusive until he met his former wife, who is now dead.

Once Castro finished, Judge Michael Russo thanked Knight for showing "remarkable restraint" during his statement. The judge then dismissed Castro's claims that the women lived a happy life with him.

"I'm not sure there's anyone in America that would agree with you," he said.

None of Castro's relatives were in the courtroom. Berry and DeJesus also stayed away. Instead, their family members read statements on their behalf.

"We stand before you and promise you that our beloved family member thrives," said Sylvia Colon, DeJesus' cousin. "She laughs, swims, dances, and more importantly, she loves and is loved. We are comforted in knowing that she will continue to flourish."

The women have begun emerging from the privacy they had sought after they escaped to freedom.

Berry made a surprise onstage appearance at a rap concert last weekend, and DeJesus made a few televised comments as a privacy fence was being erected around her house.

___

Seewer reported from Toledo. Andrew Welsh-Huggins in Columbus contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-08-01-US-Missing-Women-Found/id-d35baad385474c73990136d0d08dafbb

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Gwen Stefani's Got the London Look

Posted Saturday August 3, 2013 10:11 AM GMT

Bringing her unique style Across the Pond, Gwen Stefani ventured out in London, England on Saturday (August 3).

The No Doubt frontwoman daringly sported a long, gray jumpsuit, black headband, and strappy silvery sandals as she headed out for some weekend adventures.

Earlier in the week, the 43-year-old musician and rocker hubby Gavin Rossdale got some star treatment at the London Zoo.

Along with their boys Kingston and Zuma, the whole family was invited inside the penguin exhibit, where they engaged in some up-close-and-personal time with their new feathered friends.

Enjoy the pictures of Gwen Stefani out in London (August 3).

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/gwen-stefani/gwen-stefanis-got-london-look-900439

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Friday, August 2, 2013

Arctic Monkeys Producer James Ford Talks 'AM': Hip-Hop, RnB And Sabbath

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Source: http://www.facebook.com/stereoboard/posts/10151729191809223

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IU scientists get $1.2M for breast cancer research from Susan G. Komen charity


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INDIANAPOLIS ? Indiana University researchers exploring possible new treatments for breast cancer have received nearly $1.2 million from a breast cancer charity to advance their work.

The funding from Susan G. Komen is part of $4.5 million in grants the Dallas-based charity announced Thursday for research into the role toxins and other environmental factors play in breast cancer's development.

The $1.2 million for IU researchers includes $500,000 for the Susan G. Komen Tissue Bank at the IU Simon Cancer Center. That Indianapolis center will use its grant to collect normal breast tissue from women in Kenya to help understand the underlying biology and genetic issues that lead to more aggressive forms of breast cancer.

Women of African descent have higher breast cancer mortality rates.

Source: http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/3612f105ce0f4fffbe86051158dd6795/IN--Breast-Cancer-Research/

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How Should I Teach My Kids About Money?

Dear Lifehacker,
I want my kids to be smarter with their money than I was in the past. How should I go about teaching them about it, and at what ages?

Signed,
Penny-wise Parent

Dear PP,
Good on you for wanting to teach your children financial smarts. Money management is one of the most essential life skills, and it?s up to parents to show kids how to handle their finances responsibly, as early on as possible. Here?s what we found kids should know about money at each stage of their lives and ways you can teach them.

Set an Example Yourself

There are as many approaches to teaching kids about money as there are different parenting styles. When we last asked you about this subject, some replied they use the allowance system, while other parents simply instruct their kids to work for anything extra they want. Regardless of your specific philosophy, the most important thing may be to teach by example, using everyday life lessons.

You can start as soon as they?re able to count, the Payjr Education Center says. From there, every time you pay a bill, go to the bank, swipe a credit card, check your spending (perhaps at Mint.com), or work overtime are opportunities to have important conversations about money. (In the end, I think the best skill you can teach kids in general is how to make good decisions, whether we?re talking about finances or other areas of life.)

Just as important as what you tell your kids about money is how you talk about it. Instead of saying ?We can?t afford that? when your child wants a ridiculously priced toy, a more positive (and teaching) approach is to say ?We don?t buy every thing we want, but instead choose which are the most important things to spend our money on.? Then set a budget with them and encourage them to save up for those non-necessities.

Financial Milestones for Kids at Different Ages

Of course, the specific money lessons you teach will depend on your kids? ages. Recently, the White House under President Obama launched an initiative to come up with the essential financial lessons parents should teach their kids. The advisory council reviewed financial literacy guidelines, standards, and research over 16 months and came up with 20 essential ?money milestones? for kids to learn as they grow. Here they are, by age group:

Ages 3 to 5

1. You need money to buy things. Teach young kids how to identify coins and bills. Playing pretend store or restaurant is also a fun way to demonstrate how money is used to pay for things.

2. You earn money by working. Or, you know, the old ?money doesn?t grow on trees? lesson. Talk about your job with your child and point out different occupations as you walk around your neighborhood. Richard Scarry?s Busy, Busy Town and other books/games are a classic introduction to this concept.

3. You may have to wait before you can buy something. Like fellow Lifehacker editor Walter Glenn, I use a save, spend, and share system to help my daughter learn to set money aside. When she wants something at the store, we?ll see if she?s saved enough or put it on a wish list.

ThreeJars is a site that helps families with money allocation, and Tykoon is another great one both on mobile and the web for young kids and teens.

4. There?s a difference between things you want and what you need. My daughter?s kindergarten teacher actually taught her class to sort things into circles by wants or needs. You could do the same, cutting out pictures of food and a house, for example, in a teaching game.

Ages 6 to 10

5. You need to make choices about how to spend your money. Money As You Grow suggests that when shopping, you ask aloud questions like ?Do I need this item? Can I borrow it? Would it cost less somewhere else?? If a friend?s birthday party is coming up, let your child choose the gift with a set budget amount.

6. It?s good to shop around and compare prices before you buy. Simple lessons at the grocery store, such as comparing unit prices, teach kids that smart shopping helps you keep more of your money and makes it go farther. Trent at The Simple Dollar taught his seven-year old to pick out a week?s worth of groceries with a $100 budget. (It also makes for an interesting week of dinners.)

7. It can be costly and dangerous to share information online. Use your gadgets? parental controls but also teach them basic rules like never buying anything without your permission or sharing personal information on the computer.

8. Putting your money in a savings account will protect it and pay you interest. Open a savings account together and track how the savings grow.

Ages 11 to 13

9. You should save at least a dime for every dollar you receive. This is an awesome automatic habit for a child to learn at an early age.

10. Entering personal information online, like a bank or credit card number, is risky because someone could steal it. Talk about things like online fraud and identity theft. Google?s ?Good to Know? safety and security site is a good one to visit with your child.

11. The sooner you save, the faster your money can grow from compound interest. An online compound interest calculator can demonstrate this ?secret to getting rich.?

12. Using a credit card is like taking out a loan. Talk about how you pay your bill in full each month and show how long it would take if you only paid the minimum with the Federal Reserve?s calculator.

Ages 14 to 18

13. When comparing colleges, consider how much each school would cost you. The College Scorecard compares college costs and employment rates.

14. Avoid using credit cards to buy things you can?t afford to pay with cash. Sort of a repeat lesson from #12, but important to drive home!

15. Money gets taken out of your paycheck for taxes. Review a paycheck to show how much goes to Uncle Sam and discuss why.

16. A Roth IRA is a great place to save. Once your kid is old enough to earn money from a job, open an IRA with him or her and explain how starting early will mean significantly more savings when you retire.

Ages 18+

17. Only use a credit card if you pay it off in full each month. Yes, again.

18. You need insurance. Most insurance plans let young adults stay on their parents' health plans until age 26. Also talk about renter?s insurance and auto insurance and comparison shop for them together.

19. Save at least three months of expenses for emergencies. Help your son or daughter draw up a budget, estimate the emergency fund need, and automate the savings.

20. Consider the risks and annual expenses when investing. A high expense ratios or investing fees eat up your savings. The Wall Street Journal has more advice for teaching kids about investing and Warren Buffet even has a cartoon for kids.

You can read the government?s final (PDF) report here or simply visit Money As YouGrow.org for more activities.

One other thing not mentioned in the 20 milestones list but worth talking about with your kids once they?re old enough to use a credit or debit card is the importance of maintaining a good credit score.

It might seem like a lot to discuss with your kids, but if you can help them avoid making some of the dumbest money mistakes when they?re older, you?ll have helped them immensely.

Love,
Lifehacker

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Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/AC8dLY9rVLs/how-should-i-teach-my-kids-about-money-989572776

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Thursday, August 1, 2013

Microsoft Surface Generated A Revenue Of $853 Million, Only Around 1.7 Millions Units Sold

Microsoft submitted their Form 10-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission today and it revealed some interesting information about Surface. Microsoft Surface totally generated a revenue of $853 million. This is not so encouraging number for Microsoft because it equates to poor sales of the Surface units. If you roughly calculate the $853 million for $500 per Surface unit, you end up with just 1.7 million Surface units sold number?

Read more at Microsoft News

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WmPowerUser/~3/8i1z-TJ5rY4/

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Hyderabad metro faces more land acquisition hurdles from traders

The Hyderabad Metro Rail project has again run into rough weather. The Rs. 16,500-crore elevated metro rail project spans 72 kms, across three dense corridors of twin cities, Hyderabad and Secunderabad. It is currently in the midst of challenges to secure ?right-of-way? along some buzzling commercial establishments along the route.
This comes at a time when L&T Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd, which is involved in one of the largest public-private-partnership (PPP) projects in the country, is in a very busy and crucial phase of development. This is a phase which involves accelerated pace of project implementation as well as construction work at its peak.
Land acquisition being a major cause of concern for the Andhra Pradesh government, about Rs.2000 crores has been set aside for expenses associated with acquisition of 269 acres of land that would be needed for the completion of the project. In this regard, the government has been successful in acquiring large portions of land at critical points. However, the major concern at the moment is with regards to acquiring properties along some busy commercial roads, with many establishments likely to be effected in the process. This is a cause of grave concern to the government, more than for the developer, as the progress of the project would be jeopardised if this issue is not resolved adequately.
Causes of resistance:
Land acquisition has become troublesome particularly in some busy localised areas. Some of these stretches are the corridor heading towards the IT hub of Hyderabad, the Ameerpet stretch and the corridor passing through the Old City that touches the market junction of Sultan Bazar, that is a commercial hotspot. There is resistance from local traders against the project as they feel that it would affect their business.
Besides, land has to be acquired from properties holding some religious structures, including an Iskcon temple. Meanwhile, members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKON) have launced a protest against the proposal sought regarding acquiring 1,600 sq yards of temple land.
Traffic movement has also been adversely affected along busy junctions due to metro barricades being erected for construction of piers. The monsoon has further worsened commuter woes. It is unlikely that any immediate solution can be arrived at in the near future, to break this deadlock. It is yet to be seen if the government would try to influence traders in the locality by offering them higher compensation.
Since the project is already in the cusp of another land acquisition dispute with the Andhra Pradesh State Wakf Board (APSWB), this issue will further aggravate the woes of the government, which could result in the project getting delayed from the expected operational date of March, 2015.

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Source: http://www.commonfloor.com/guide/hyderabad-metro-faces-more-land-acquisition-hurdles-from-traders-27391.html

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New target identified for food allergy therapy

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Researchers have identified an enzyme that is essential to the allergic reaction to peanuts. Blocking the enzyme's activity in sensitized mice prevented diarrhea and inflammation, and reduced levels of several proteins associated with allergies. The findings identify the enzyme, known as Cyp11a1, as a potential target for treatment of increasingly common and potentially deadly food allergy.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/wEvxDJOQjms/130801095950.htm

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